It was even tougher news for girls' basketball coaches across South Florida to hear.

For the first time in its 20-year history, the Kreul Classic, one of Florida's premier high school basketball tournaments, won't have a girls' bracket.

The Kreul, which begins Dec. 18, has been affected by the same economic struggles that have already plagued other aspects of the high school sports world. Despite Reilly's best effort, keeping the girls' division no longer made economic sense.

"We started as a girls' tournament," said Reilly, one of the Kreul's founders. "We had no interest in eliminating the girls. We just couldn't find a way to fund it. For years, we've done the same thing for the girls that we did for the boys, but financially, we couldn't make it go."

The Kreul isn't the only tournament that's had to make that difficult call.

Not that long ago, South Florida girls' teams lost the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Classic. And last season, Dillard coach Marcia Pinder learned the Peach State Holiday Classic -- a tournament she had been taking her Panthers to for years -- was finished.

The tournament worked with Pinder to put Dillard in a replacement showcase, but the veteran coach somewhat understood what was happening.

Tournaments, even those run by non-profit organizations, need to make money, and girls' basketball doesn't generate the same kind of revenue boys' basketball does.

"We don't draw the tremendous crowds the boys do," Pinder said. "We're not dunking. We don't play the same way. Maybe we will one day, and it will be more exciting for people to watch us and sponsor us like they do the men."

So what do these cuts mean for the county's top girls' programs?

Now, more than ever, they have to be proactive in seeking out the tournaments that remain. And they have to be diligent in fundraising efforts.

This year, Dillard will travel to Phoenix to play in the Nike Tournament of Champions, a tournament that still helps offset travel costs.

South Broward, which won the Kreul last year, is headed to Fort Myers for the Dunbar Invitational. According to Bulldogs coach Sharlene Ferguson, the team is paying its own way with the help of fundraisers, and the tournament's proximity is part of what made it attractive.

"We wanted to keep it economical for everybody," Ferguson said. "Everyone is struggling right now, and it's a good tournament that's close by. We lucked out on that."

Despite the challenges, though, some tournaments are still working to give girls' basketball its due.

Marcelious Alexander III of Team MVP Sports is organizing two girls' tournaments this season -- the Lady Tiger Invitational scheduled for later this month and January's Girls' MLK Holiday Classic.

Alexander hopes both will help players land scholarships. If that happens, then all the money spent is worthwhile.

"At the end of the day, it's about making sure college coaches can see the talent we have," Alexander said. "We want these kids to get scholarships. If we do that, it's win-win. It doesn't matter if all we make is a dollar."